Surgery seen best for obesity

LONDON - Weight-loss surgery is more effective than diet and exercise as a treatment for obesity, according to a review of health studies involving almost 800 people.

Surgery such as gastric banding, gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy led to on average 57 pounds more weight loss after two years than non-surgical treatment, which included diet, exercise, behavioral therapy and medicines, according to an analysis of 11 studies of 796 obese people. The research was published in the British Medical Journal.

While the results are limited to two years' follow-up after surgery, the analysis provides further evidence supporting medical procedures to address the obesity epidemic. At least 2.8 million people die each year from being overweight or obese, which raises risks of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

"This meta-analysis provides comprehensive evidence that, compared with nonsurgical treatment of obesity, bariatric surgery leads to greater body weight loss," according to the authors, led by Viktoria Gloy at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. "The evidence beyond two years of follow-up, in particular on adverse events, cardiovascular diseases and mortality remains unclear."

Surgery also led to higher remission rates of Type 2 diabetes, according to the review. The most common side effects were iron deficiency anemia and the need to reoperate. Another complication may be frequent diarrhea.

While diet and exercise are more cost-effective options, studies show that for most people they are not sustainable for weight-loss. As many as two-thirds of those on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years, according to an analysis of 31 long-term studies on dieting by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles.

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